Ply Baked Goods – Soo Chow Walk (Moved)

(Ply Baked Goods had since ceased operations at Soo Chow Walk and moved to a new location at Alexandra Point. Updated address listed at the end of the post.)

Relatively new to the neighbourhood, Ply Baked Goods hides behind the main Upper Thomson stretch of shophouses, which is a pretty getaway from the crowd being situated within a stretch of automobile workshops.

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The main items here are their cakes and tarts, but we were glad to see them serve Quizza (Pizza-styled quiches), Baked Spaghetti and some sides because we missed our lunch. Drinks include tea from 1872 Clipper Tea as well as coffee from Illy.

(illycrema)

Whilst deciding on which cakes to go for, the owner came around asking if any of us are into cold coffee and served us a small shot of illycrema. She claimed that it was a new product from Illy that quite impressed her, and was like Slurpee in coffee form. We found it resembling a ice slush tasting of something similar to Affogato but way stronger and sweeter, and got the non coffee drinkers hooked. Apparently, the owner also told us it could only be found in hotels usually, but she decided to bring it in as it was rather unique.

(Ambra)

I got so sold in the idea I decided to get the Ambra; illycrema served with hot chocolate. The thick hot chocolate was not too intensively sweet, and the illycrema injects that coffee aroma that makes it similar to Mocha, though the ice slush texture is the novelty of this drink. I could only wish for more!

(Lemon Meringue Tart)

Going on to their bakes, one of my dining partners decided to go for a Lemon Meringue Tart. It comes with a layer of chocolate hidden in between the lemon curd and the tart base; all of which a nice tinge of sweetness that helps mediate the tart flavour of the lemon curd with a fluffy and torched meringue layer. Regretted that I did not had this fully to myself.

(Earl Grey Tiramisu)

My choice was the Earl Grey Tiramisu, given my obsession with all things Earl Grey. Tiramisu purists might be disappointed; there ain’t any ladyfinger biscuits nor alcohol, but the white chocolate biscuit pops were an interesting sensation in the mouth, while the vanilla cake went very well with the aromatic Earl Grey flavoured cream. An item truly deserving to its signature status.

(Hazelnut Dacquoise)

Hazelnut Dacquoise was a bit of a disappointment though; the thick chocolate layer in between had an overwhelming cocoa sweetness which matched quite fine with the digestive cookie layers but it was just missing on the main point itself; the hazelnut, which was rather non-existent here.

(Royal Chempedak)

Incorporating local flavours into a mousse cake, the Royal Chempedak is a unique flavour we thought we could not miss here. We expected this to be a rather heavy tasting cake as Chempedak is known for its intense sweetness. It blew us away with its lightness eventually; the sweetness was really light with the mousse and the flavour was rather refreshing as the light fruity sweetness was evident within the mousse, removing some of its creaminess. The chunks of Chempedak were also rather light-flavoured, which made it really soothing instead of being sharply sweet.

(Spaghetti & Sausage Baked Pasta)

Last to arrive at the table was Spaghetti & Sausage Baked Pasta, which we had been told beforehand that it would take 40 minutes to prepare. The reason behind it is because each bowl is being prepared on the spot to preserve its freshness; and it indeed did not disappoint. Portion size was generous; a hungry dining partner who did not ate anything since dinner the previous day had some trouble finishing and we were lucky enough to have more than just a pinch of it. The pasta was cooked al dente, despite having a layer of melted cheese with equally generous amounts of sausage hidden underneath it possibly due to the fact that the tomato-based sauce was tossed dry before being baked to ensure that the pasta did not get soaked in too much sauce. Sweet yet tangy, the sauce makes the pasta addictive to eat despite its huge portions, and while it only had two main ingredients, it was delightful to have without being anywhere tiring even after half a bowl. If you do have the time to sit around and need a main to go along, do give this a try!

A peaceful cafe set beside the crowded Upper Thomson area that is jam-packed with its various eateries, Ply Baked Goods offers a rather quiet environment from the hustle and bustle along the main road to chill and relax. The food were generally impressive and tastefully put together, sometimes even homely. It also offers dine-in seating; a thing many bakeries that have recently opened lack. One of my dining partners who lives nearby told me that the tenants here however do change rather often, given how quiet the estate is and that rarely anyone walks by in search of anything there; even the owner was a bit appalled as we strolled in. For the same exact reason, I guess it would be why this place would be somewhere to consider if we are looking for a cafe to chill; let’s hope they would last here!